By Jeremy Beckman, London editor
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazil’s environment agency IBAMA has confirmed Petrobras’ environmental license to drill two exploratory wells in deepwater Block BM-POT-17 in the Potiguar Basin on the Equatorial Margin.
The first well will be drilled 52 km offshore with the program starting in the next few weeks, after the rig has reached the location.
Petrobras aims to increase its knowledge of the area’s geology to assess the economic feasibility and extent of the 2013 Pitu oil discovery. It does not plan oil production at this stage.
The company added that it had complied with all requirements and procedures requested by IBAMA. The final phase of the assessment, conducted in mid-September, involved an onsite simulation, or pre-operational assessment, which confirmed to IBAMA Petrobras' ability to respond swiftly and decisively to any accidental oil spill.
In the Equatorial Margin, the company noted, there are four Environmental Defense Centers (CDAs) located in Pará, Maranhão, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte, along with nine further CDAs, bases and emergency response centers elsewhere in Brazil.
All are equipped to respond to accidental events at sea involving oil spills, Petrobras added.
The Potiguar Basin covers the offshore areas of Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará states: the Brazilian Equatorial Margin is thought to be one of the world's most promising deepwater and ultradeepwater frontiers for hydrocarbon exploration.
Recent discoveries offshore neighboring Guyana and Suriname indicate significant oil production potential for the Brazilian Equatorial Margin, Petrobras said, and the company aims to drill 16 exploratory wells in the region over a five-year period, with planned investment of about $3 billion.
In a separate development, Petrobras, responding to media reports of potential for 5.6 Bbll of oil in blocks in the Amazon region of Amapá, said it does not make public the volumetric potential in its exploratory areas.
10.03.2023
